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Constitutionality Of SDB Preference Still Undecided

Client Alert | less than 1 min read | 07.12.05

Expressing some frustration, the Federal Circuit in Rothe Dev. Corp. v. Dep't of Def. (June 28, 2005) remanded to the district court a second time for a determination of whether the latest enactment of the small disadvantaged business evaluation preference is constitutional, despite the price percentage bonus currently being suspended. The Federal Circuit repeated that the district court must apply strict scrutiny and must review evidence as to what Congress considered in establishing the preference.

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Client Alert | 4 min read | 09.15.26

GAO Indicates Reasonable Conflict of Interest Investigation Must Include Inquiry of Involved Firm

The U.S. Government Accountability Office’s (GAO) recent decision in Viderity Inc.—Costs, B-424422.5, Sept. 1, 2026, offers useful insight into what constitutes a legally sufficient conflict of interest investigation. The decision arose in an unusual procedural posture: Viderity initially protested, alleging that an agency evaluator had a personal conflict of interest. After the agency took corrective action, Viderity filed a cost entitlement claim requesting that GAO direct the agency to reimburse Viderity’s protest costs. In evaluating that claim, GAO assessed whether Viderity’s underlying protest ground was “clearly meritorious.”...